(Villars, Switzerland, 1987 pic copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)
Right, it's all winding down for Christmas now and this is my very last piece of work before I take a break!
2014 has been an amazing year for the Rail Thing Facebook groups (and also Flashback and Reversing Beeching groups) with about 400 groups now, most added this year. Many now have well over 1000 members and the biggest (Disused Railways) is not far off 10,000!
I'd like to thanks all the various admins and, of course, the members who have been so kind sending in their photos and memories. It's the content (plus the fairly strict rules!) that make the groups what they are.
I've had a busy year with all this explosion of Facebook activity - I suspect 2015 will be a year for consolidation rather than rapid expansion.
Out in the real world we only managed to take two holidays this year, the first in Lisbon and the second in Dawlish Warren. Both, of course, have loads of rail interest! In fact I took my first ever railway photograph at Dawlish Warren on 9 July 1971.
The other place I've been to a lot this year is Bristol Temple Meads. My son Wulfric moved to Sway in September and since then has regularly come up to visit by train. No big deal for a 20 year old you'd think, but before he moved he rarely went more than 10 feet by himself! He's blind and the railway has been fantastic with their support services giving him a confidence I thought he'd never gain!
So a big Christmas thanks to the railway companies for doing this, to all of you who have joined the Facebook groups and to everyone (even non-members!) who have worked like demons to keep our railways and tramways moving, whether of the national network type or the heritage type!
See you again after the festivities!
Lisbon Elevador Gloria March 2014
Dawlish September 2014
Bristol Temple Meads 15.12.2014
(All pics copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)
